BTA drilling support

Deep-hole drilling specialist Mollart Engineering has extended its support operation for BTA drilling by creating a BTA Application Centre at its Chessington, Surrey headquarters backed-up by
two specialists based in the Midlands and north. The centre, which is part of Mollart’s strategic future development programme, is supported by tooling partner Botek. Based in Germany, Botek is a specialist in solid-carbide deep-hole drilling tooling and systems. Correct application support for BTA, otherwise known as the STS (single tube system) deep-hole drilling process, enables users to benefit from its distinct advantage of requiring just a single pass to achieve tolerance, with higher penetration rates than gun-drilling. In addition, the process can be applied across a wide range of materials.
For further information
www.mollart.com

Manufacturing Council

With growing opportunities for the UK’s manufacturers in industrial digitisation, innovation and emerging
markets, the CBI is establishing a new Manufacturing Council to help support the UK’s makers. The CEO-level council will bring together dozens of the UK’s top manufacturers – small, medium and large – from across the country and will be chaired by Tom Crotty, group director of Ineos. At the heart of the group’s work will be: shaping the skills agenda to build a UK workforce fit to adapt to AI and digitisation; building a new visionary industrial strategy that supports productivity; creating pathways to the delivery of the UK’s target of 3% of GDP invested in R&D by 2020; and delivering a Brexit that works for the UK’s manufacturing base.
For further information
www.cbi.org.uk

Pentaxia to relocate


Composites manufacturer Pentaxia has purchased a large manufacturing site on Alfreton Road in Derby. Completion of the sale will see the firm move in the New Year, from its home in Longbridge Lane to the six-acre site, which houses office space and 70,000 sq ft of manufacturing space. A six-month programme to refurbish and upgrade the site will start immediately. The £1m investment in the facility will include new manufacturing equipment, which will double the firm’s existing production capability. Constructed in the 1960s as the composite manufacturing plant for Rolls-Royce, the site was at the forefront of advanced manufacturing until 2002. This deal will see the facility return to its former glory as a centre of innovation and composites hub for the Midlands.
For further information www.pentaxia.com

Highest monthly turnover at FC Laser

Precision laser-cutting specialist FC Laser saw its customer activity grow by 20% last month, which led to the company achieving its highest ever monthly turnover. Moreover, in the past 12 months, FC Laser has experienced growth of 30%, so this recent level of activity represents a significant development for the business. FC Laser’s managing director Danny Fantom says: “Everyone in the company is always thinking about customer service and how we can improve it; and then improve it again. On top of this, employing a full-time person in a business and service development role has paid real dividends and underlined to our customers just how seriously we take their level
of satisfaction.”
For further information www.fclaser.co.uk

MGP hits ‘1000’ support milestone

More than 1000 SMEs have been given a business boost over the past 10 months thanks to a new £9.7m business support initiative. The Manufacturing Growth Programme (MGP), funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and delivered by Economic Growth Solutions (EGS), has helped companies across the UK to grow, develop new products and overcome production issues that were previously holding them back.
This has already led to 400 new jobs, with an additional 359 positions expected to be created once ongoing projects are completed. At the end of July, £1.6m of grant contributions had been made, with money in place to support another 2200 firms between now and March 2019. The MGP offers an 18-strong network of experienced manufacturing growth managers, access to industry specialists and the opportunity to apply for an average grant of £1400, rising to a maximum £3500. Support can be used for leadership and management, R&D, lean manufacturing, productivity and capacity, quality systems or supply chain development.
For further information
www.manufacturinggrowthprogramme.co.uk